Electric signal system for railroads



(No Model.)

B. G. WILEY. ELECTRIC SIGNAL SYSTEM FOR RAILROADS Patented Feb. 10

ml wwil 1!, 55:

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

EDGAR C. VILEY, OF BRISTOL, TENNESSEE.

ELECTRIC SIGNAL SYSTEM FOR RAILROADS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 446,313, dated February10, 1891.

Application filed November 13, 1890. Serial No. 371,336. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDGAR O. lVILEY, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Bristol, in the county of Sullivan and State ofTennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ElectricSignal Systems for Railroads; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and toletters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part ofthis specification.

This invention relates to circuit-closing devices to be used inconnection with electric signals for railways; and it consists incertain improvements adapted more particularly for use in connectionwith the system set forth in my application for patent filed May 15,1890, Serial No. 351,964, the object of the presentimprovements being toinsure the connection of the circuits with the least possible jar orshock to the parts and to maintain the circuits connected for the properperiod of time.

tion of the commutator and contact-wheel.

Fig. 2 is a side view inpart section of said improvement, looking in thedirection of the arrow, Fig. 1; and Fig. 3, a plan view showing theconnection of two of the improved circuit devices.

Each of the improved circuit-closing devices is mounted on a base A,located adjacent to the outerside of one of the track-rails, andcomprises a circular case B, having an offset a at one side, in whichare secured four insulated brushes 1, 2, 3, and 4, registering withinsulated contacts 0 0' 0 carried by commutator-cylinder O. The journals(1 (7/ extend through and beyond the ends of the circular case B. Thecommutator-contacts c c c are arranged and connected the same asexplained in my application before referred tothat is to say, the endcontacts 0 are continuous and are connected by short wires 6 with thecontact 0" next adjacent, and then by cross-wires 6 with contact 0farthest away. A wire 5 connects the rail with brush 2. Brush 1 isconnected by branch Wire 6 to one of the line-wires 7; brush 3 by wire 8with -a copper band g, forming the rim of a contact-wheel D, turning onthe end of journal (1, and brush 4 by means of wire 10 with secondline-wire 11.

The inner side of the wheel D is provided with a spring-plate f, whichbears against a shouldered portion of t-hejournal d, as shown in Fig. 1.A horizontal block 9 is centrally mounted on the inner journal d and islocated above a horizontal arm h, secured permanently at one end to thebase, While the other end is secured by a link i to ahorizontally-extending leafspring E, secured as shown in Fig. 2, andhaving one end connected permanently to the base A, while the otherendis hung bya suspending link j, pivoted in a bracket k. A pair of ears Idepend centrallyfrom the under side of the leaf-spring E and havepivotally connected thereto the upper end of a piston-rodm, dependingthrough the head it of a dash-pot F, seated in an opening in the base A.By reference to Fig. 1 it will be seen by the dotted lines that thedash-pot F has side trunnions p,which rest in depressions therefor inthe upper face of the base, so that the pot E can have a limited rockingmovement in the opening in the base. The piston G, secured on the lowerend of the rod m, is provided with a series of ports and is of suchdiameter as to have a loose fit in the pot. A valve-disk q is looselymounted on rod m on the upper side of the piston. Oil or similar liquidis contained in the dash-pot on the under side of the piston.

Having described the construction of the present improvements, it is tobe noted that each of the locomotives is provided with an alarm-bell andcircuit, as set forth in the pending application referred to, and thatone of the circuit-wires is grounded through the rail by means of thewheel,while' the other wi re is connected with the circuit-closin gcontact-brush. As the locomotive passes along the track its wheel willdepress the spring E, which is ordinarily slightlyhigher at itscenterthan the track, and also the arm 72, which ordinarily forms a latchagainst the rotation of the commutator-cylinder. The succeding contactbetween the brush carried by the 10- comotive and the wheel D enablesthe wheel to be turned to an extent limited by the blocks g and thejournal of the same, and this limited movement of course results in arotation of the cylinder 0 sufficient to secure the propercommutator-connections. By having the wheel D turn on the journal (1'and by employing the plate f, as previously set forth, the frictionalcontact of the plate will be sut'-. ficient to enable the wheel to turnthe cylinder to its full extent, after which any furtherrotation of thewheel will simply resultin its slipping upon the journal. The depressionof the spring also occasions the piston to descend into the dash-pot andlift the disk g away from said piston and enables the oil to be forcedthrough and around said piston to the upper side of the same, thischange of the position of the oil being a comparatively quick one.WVhen, of course, the spring E is released from the action of thecar-wheel, the rising tendency of the spring will insure the lifting ofthe piston, causing the valve to be seated against he same, and compelthe oil to circulate slowly and only around the marginal portions of thepiston, so as to retain the commutator-contact sufficiently long inposition to enable the locomotive to reach another of these devices andsimilarly operate it, so that at least one set of connections will bealways made, the importance of which is also fully set forth in saidpending application. The rising of the spring through the medium of armh and block g restores the commutator-cylinder to its first position.

By having the dash-pot pivotally suspended it may partake of all themovements and vibrations of the other parts, so as to enable them towork readily and easily.

As will be noted,the arm h positively locks the parts in such positionthat accidental or unwarranted operation will be avoided.

The spring E will generallybe made of sufficient strength to require theweight of the locomotive to depress it. Hence it will not be easy tooperate the parts any other way.

I claime 1. In a circuit-closing device for railway systems, thecombination of the commutatorcylinder and contact-brushes, a blocklocated on one of the journals of said cylinder, a pivoted arm h belowsaid block to latch it, and a curved spring connected with said arm hand adapted to be depressed by the carwheel to release said block andpermit the cylinder to be turned, substantially as set forth.

2. In a circuit-closing device for electric signals for railroads, thecombination, with the commutator-cylinder and contact-brushes, of ablock located on one of the journals of the cylinder, a pivotedlatch-arm engaging said block and a curved spring connected to saidlatch-arm, a pistonrod pivotally depending from said spring andconnected with a piston in the cylinder containing oil, and a valve q,playing loosely on the rod at the upper side of said piston,substantially as set forth.

3. In a circuit-closing device for electric signals for railroads, thecombination, with the commutator-cylinderand contact-brushes, of a blocklocated on one of the journals of said cylinder, a pivoted latch-armengaging said block and a curved spring connected to said latch-arm, apivotally-suspended dashpot located below said spring and containingoil, and a piston, together with a piston-rod connected with said pistonand pivotally at tached to the leaf-sprin g, substantially as set forth.

4. In a circuit-closing device for electric signals for railroads, thecombination of the commutator-cylinder and contact-brushes, a block g,located on one of the journals of said cylinder forlimitingits rotation,together with a wheel located on the other journal, and a spring-platef,interposed between said wheel and journal to rotate together to thelimit of the rotation of the cylinder and thereafter to permit the wheelto slip on the journal, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDGAR C. \VILEY.

. Witnesses:

EUGENE W. JOHNSON, H. L. BEALL.

